Nehemiah w



N. W. LEE.

Tobacco Cutter.

Paten-ted May 28, 1862i.

@their faire, strut @Hita NEHEMIAH W. LEE, 0F lNORTH PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

Letters Patent No. 65,095, dated lllag/ 28, 1867.

- TOBACCO-GUTTER.

.TO ALL WHOM ITMAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, NEHEMIAH W. LEE, of North Providence, in the county of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented an improved Tobacco-Cutter, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had'to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which-'- Figure 1 is a plan of my improved tobacco-cutter.

Figure 2 is an elevation of one side of the same.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line x :r of iig. 1`

Figure 4, details to be referred to.

My invention consists in a tobacco-cutter, in which the knife is carried down vertically by mea-ns of a lever provided with a toothed sector which works in a rack on the upper side of the knife-stock or carrier, the fulcrum of the lever moving nearer toward a point over` the centre of the knife as it descends, by which the power is increased and the tobacco cut with great facility.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out. Y

In'the said drawings, A is the base or stand, to which is secured the frame B, composed of two hollow posts 40, connected together at the top by two cross-bars 5. C is the knife-stock, which carries the knife D, and slides vertically in guides in the Aposts 40. a are circular plates or disks, projecting out from the knifestook C, which it within the hollowposts 40, and rest on spiral springs E, which thus serve to elevate the knife and retain it in a position ready for use, and at a suflicient distance above the base to admit the thickest of tobacco. At the top of the knife-stock C is formed a rack, b, in which works a toothed sector, F, provided with a handlever, G, the fulcrum of which consists of a pin, e, which passes through the sector F, and carries at each end a friction-moll, d, (fig. 4,) which bears against the under side of the cross-bar 5, the portion 6 of the roll being guided in a groove formed on the inside of the bar, and thus, as the lever G is depressed, the knife is carried downyertically with its edge at all times parallel with .the upper surface of the base A, and as the knife descends, the fulcrum is carried by the movement of the sector toward the centre of the bars 5, by which means the power is increased as the knife passes through the tobacco, and the operation of cutting is thus greatly facilitated. There is also much lessfrictiou between the knife and the tobacco as the cut is direct instead of drawing It is evident that the pin c may be made to rest directly on the cross-bars 5, and the rolls d be dispensed with, but I prefer to use them as they prevent friction and wear, and facilitate the working of the parts. The size of the piece of tobacco to be Vcut is determined by means of a movable gauge, H, which slides in a slot, e, and is held in place at the required distance from the knife by means of a thumb-screw,f, and the tobacco may thus be cut evenly intopieces of uniform size. Y

rl`l1e above-described tobacco-cutter with its movable fulcrum requires less power during the operation of cutting than any other machine for this purpose with which I am acquainted, while it is of simple construction and not liable to get out of order.

Claim.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

'lhe 'knife D, with its rack sliding vertically in the frame B, and operated against the resistance of springs E, or their equivalents, by the level' Gr, with its movable fulcrum and toothed sector F` substantially as described for thc purpose set forth.

` NEHEMIAH W. LEE.

Witn esses A. E. Pinnen, Cms. P. ADAMs. 

